Grisham, John

(US, 1955– )

Grisham studied law in Mississippi and practised as a lawyer for nine years; his phenomenally popular fiction owes a good deal to his legal knowledge. The Rainmaker (1995) is as good a place to start as any. The young, wet-behind-the-ears lawyer takes on the might of corporate America and, with the help of a seedy ambulance chaser, and a somewhat biased judge, wins the day. Grisham regularly fulfils the American need to believe that the small man can succeed against the establishment. The lawyer isn't always a young male; The Client (1993) features a 50-year-old divorcee, recovering alcoholic Reggie Love. The Firm (1991) and The Pelican Brief (1992) both deal with central characters who are at risk because they have uncovered legal or political corruption. Read Grisham for the intricate plots, which cleverly draw on his legal knowledge, for example, jury vetting procedure in The Runaway Jury (1996). If you need something which will keep you hooked, Grisham always delivers the goods.

Scott Turow, Tom Clancy  RV